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CVN Sends Letter to Mayor and Council Opposing Use of Development Levies for Transit

On October 17, 2016, the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods sent the following letter to Mayor Gregor Robertson and the Vancouver City Council. This letter is in support of Motion B.1, Ensuring Vancouver Development Levies are Not Used to Fund Transit.

As explained in the letter, CVN is strongly opposed to the use of development taxes or property taxes to fund transit, or policies that make increased development a requirement to receive transit funding.

CVN represents a diverse group of nearly 30 neighbourhood associations all across the City of Vancouver.

The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods (CVN) is strongly in support of Motion B.1 – Ensuring Vancouver Development Levies are Not Used to Fund Transit.

We have only one suggested change to the resolution, item #3 as follows (addition in yellow):

3. The City of Vancouver opposes making provincial transit funding contingent on the City’s use of Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) or Development Cost levies (DCLs) to fund transit as that would infringe on the City’s authority and responsibility to implement public amenity strategies as embedded in local area plans and would make it impossible for the City to adequately fund affordable housing and other essential public amenities.

While we support increasing affordable transit in Metro Vancouver, we are opposed to the use of development taxes (CACS or DCLs) or property taxes to fund transit or policies to make increased development a requirement of transit funding. Provincial insistence on this course would seriously undermine the civic tax base, jeopardize the municipal democratic process and infringe on municipal authority.

To avoid further provincial downloading of transit costs onto the City of Vancouver, we encourage you to pass this motion with this amendment and to write to the Province of BC as proposed.

Sincerely,

Larry A. Benge, Chair

On behalf of the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods.
Contact: info@coalitionvan.org